Steak Tartare Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jul 30, 2025 
This classic Steak Tartare Recipe is made with chopped raw steak, raw egg yolk, capers, and spicy mustard. This European staple is so easy to prepare, and delicious to enjoy as a summer appetizer or light dinner dish.
Disclaimer: Be sure to use fresh high-quality beef and serve this dish immediately. Do not make it ahead. It is advised that pregnant women should not eat raw meat. Learn more about food safety from foodsafety.gov.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Our classic European-style steak tartare recipe is made with top-quality beef filets, shallots, capers, and egg yolk to create a silky texture. The egg helps to hold the chopped beef and other ingredients altogether.
We also include a generous dollop of spicy whole-grain mustard for a bit of bold and tangy flavor.
This no-cook dish is ready in only 20 minutes. It is basically all simple prep work, and then everything is mixed together. That’s it!
Why You’ll Love This Steak Tartare Recipe
- Sure to impress guests – This authentic European beef tartare appetizer is sure to impress even your most well-traveled guests.
- Quick and easy – All you need to do is chill, chop and mix, and in less than half an hour you’ll have the most delicious no-cook tartare.
- Refreshing – I LOVE how refreshing and light this dish is, and it’s especially enjoyable during hotter months when you’re not really in the mood for something too filling.
Homemade authentic beef tartare is perfect for serving as an appetizer or enjoying a light summer dinner. Pair with your choice of healthy and/or hearty side dishes for a deeply flavorful and fun meal!
Ingredients You Need
- Beef filets – Use a high-quality meat, preferably from the butcher counter.
- Shallots – Use minced shallots or sweet onion, if you prefer.
- Capers – I prefer minced capers or cornichons.
- Egg yolk – Save the egg white in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days to cook with.
- Spicy whole grain mustard – You can also use a 50/50 combo of whole grain mustard and Dijon mustard.
- Parsley – Use chopped fresh parsley.
- Olive oil – Or go for another preferred neutral-tasting oil.
- Lemon – Definitely use freshly zested and juiced lemon.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Spice – Add in a drizzle of Sriracha or other hot sauce, crushed red pepper, or minced chili peppers for some extra heat.
- Horseradish – Stir in a little bit of prepared or fresh grated horseradish to add a nice bit of sharp flavor. This plays well with the silky, savory flavor of the steak tartare.
- Relish – Diced pickle relish is terrific to mix in to give the dish a bit of tangy-sweetness.
- Truffle oil – Elevate your steak tartare with a drizzle of truffle oil for a rich, decadent twist.
- Toast – Serve your tartare on a small toasted baguette slice.
How To Make Steak Tartare
To make this delicious, show-stopping classic appetizer, you need fresh ingredients, a great knife and a large bowl to mix everything together.
Find the full Steak Tartare recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Tips For Success
- Before getting started, make sure that your steak is nice and cold. You can even put the meat (sealed properly) in the freezer for a few minutes to get chilled.
- Mix well… BUT BE GENTLE. You just want to incorporate the ingredients, not mush them together.
- Serve immediately! Don’t let the tartare sit out.
Storage Notes
- Do not store any leftover steak tartare. This should be served and consumed immediately.
Serving Suggestions
For traditional plating, press the beef tartare into a ramekin or a small bowl, and then carefully flip it out onto small serving plates in the shape of a disk.
Garnish the tartare with extra parsley and/or capers, if you like. You can also rest an extra egg yolk on top, but be aware this will make the tartare texture extra dense and silky.
Classic beef tartare is often enjoyed with baguette slices, crunchy crostini, toast points, plantain chips, or even simple salty potato chips.
This light, refreshing, and savory tartare pairs well with any number of summer dishes. Serve with a green salad, French Red Potato Salad for a fun play of “meat and potatoes,” Bake Turnip Fries, French Fries, or fresh or grilled veggies. You can even use a little tabasco sauce on top to spice it up.
Best Steak Tartare Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds beef filets
- ½ cup minced shallot
- ¼ cup minced capers
- 1 large egg yolk + extra egg yolks for serving, optional
- 3 tablespoons spicy whole grain mustard or 2 tb whole grain mustard + 1 tb Dijon
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim all excess fat chunks off the steaks. Then finely chop the filets into ¼ inch pieces. Do this by cutting the steaks into fine strips. Cut the strips in halves or thirds. Then cut the steak ribbons crosswise.
- Mince the shallots and capers. Zest and juice the lemon. In a measuring cup, add the egg yolk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and spicy mustard. Stir to combine.
- Set out a mixing bowl. Add the chopped steak, minced shallots, capers, egg yolk mixture, parsley, olive oil, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Mix well.
- Taste, then add additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
- Serve immediately. For traditional plating, press the steak tartare into ramekins, then flip it out onto small serving plates in the shape of a disk. Garnish with extra parsley and/or capers. You can also rest an extra egg yolk on top, but be aware this will make the tartare texture extra dense and silky.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
I used high-quality raw beef filets (AKA filet mignon), but you could also use top-round filets, sirloin, or whole beef tenderloin, or New York Strip. Still, slice the meat into very small chunks rather than grind it up with a meat grinder.
To get just the right minced beef, start by cutting the steaks into fine strips. Cut the thin strips into halves or thirds. Then cut the steak ribbons crosswise.
No, you should not make this recipe in advance. You can chop the steak beforehand, and keep tightly wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator until ready to prepare and serve the tartare. Use the chopped beef within a day or so of prepping.
Steak tartare, also known as “beef tartare”, is a lovely dish that’s made with chopped high-quality meat and served raw. The uncooked beef is mixed with eggs and seasonings and enjoyed either at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Most people think of tartare as a standard French recipe, yet it was actually brought to France by Russian and Eastern Europeans.
Another misconception is that beef tartare is something that people only eat at high-end bistros. They don’t realize it is easy to make at home and just as safe to consume. We’ll show you step-by-step how to make the perfect homemade Steak Tartare recipe in a snap!
I was super hesitant about making this at home for the first time, but this recipe turned out amazingly!
I did have some issues finding good steak to use – the butcher I went to wasn’t able to sell me anything fresher than 2 weeks. I did some digging and researching, and ended up quick-searing 2 top sirloin filets from the grocery store on all sides – probably about 10 seconds each side. I put the seared filets in the freezer, and then cut off the cooked edges prior to dicing and preparing the tartare. I would highly recommend this method – it still turned out great, but gave me a lot of peace of mind about decreasing the risk of foodborne illness!
I also love the new ways of cooking new things